HELIX 2025: Transforming Regions through Innovation, Sustainability and Collaboration School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança Bragança, Portugal, June 26-28, 2025

Scope​

Multidisciplinary conference, encompassing various sectors and fields involved in driving regional transformation through innovation, sustainability, and collaboration. Key focus areas include:

• Regional Competitiveness through Sustainable Innovation.
• Digital Transformation and Smart Regions.
• Economic Development and Policy Innovation.
• Education, Training, and Lifelong Learning.
• Public Administration and Governance.
• Entrepreneurship, Industry, and Business Ecosystems.
• Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development.
• Destination Competitiveness and Management.

General objectives​

• Facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration between academia, industry, and public institutions to drive regional innovation and sustainable development.
• Promote the adoption of digital technologies and smart region solutions to enhance regional competitiveness and governance.
• Encourage knowledge exchange on economic development policies and innovative practices that address regional challenges and opportunities.
• Showcase best practices in entrepreneurship and business ecosystems to inspire sustainable growth and regional resilience.
• Highlight the importance of preserving cultural heritage while leveraging tourism for regional economic and social benefits.
• Foster the development of destination management strategies that enhance competitiveness while promoting sustainability.

Topics​

• Management, Innovation and Sustainability
  • The impact of innovation on regional transformation.
  • Sustainable models for regional development.
  • The connection between technological innovation and environmental sustainability.
• Digital Transformation
  • Challenges and opportunities of digitalisation in rural and urban areas.
  • The use of digital technologies to improve regional resource management.
  • Digital inclusion as a driver for development.
• Collaboration and Networks
  • Collaborative models between academia, industry, and government.
  • The importance of cooperative networks for regional transformation.
  • The impact of international collaboration on local development.
• Entrepreneurship and Regional Economy
  • Key factors driving regional entrepreneurship.
  • Strategies to attract investment and businesses to emerging regions.
  • Development of regional business ecosystems.
• Tourism and Cultural Heritage
  • Promoting regional tourism destinations sustainably.
  • Preserving cultural heritage as a lever for tourism.
  • The economic impact of tourism on regional development.

Submission Guidelines

The following submission categories are welcome:

• Extended Abstracts: between two and four pages and written in English.
• Full Papers: all registered authors are eligible to submit up to 2 full papers for inclusion in the Conference Proceedings.

Please follow the submission instructions for authors.

Publication

HELIX 2025 proceedings will be published in the Conference Proceedings Book (with an ISBN). Additionally, the authors have the opportunity to explore the following publication options in prestigious scientific journals. See the all the opportunities at https://www.helix.ipb.pt/submission.html#publication-opportunities.

Venue

The conference will be held in the School of Technology and Management (ESTiG), of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, in Bragança, Portugal.

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to António Duarte or Roberto Vaz